1. Field of Invention
This invention relates to generally to flexible packaging and more particular to flexible packages including a tap for containing a liquid to enable the selected dispensing of the liquid and a method of making such packaging on automated machinery, e.g., a form, fill and seal machine, or a fill and seal machine.
2. Description of Related Art
Numerous patents disclose flexible packing for holding liquids and for dispensing the liquid through a fitment outlet or tap forming a portion of the package. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,429,810 (Hample et al.) discloses a pouch for containing wine, with the pouch including a dispensing valve fitment. U.S. Pat. No. 3,696,969 (De Van et al.), U.S. Pat. No. 4,314,654 (Gaubert), U.S. Pat. No. 4,416,395 (Gaubert), U.S. Pat. No. 4,602,725 (Malpas et al.), U.S. Pat. No. 6,131,767 (Savage et al.), and U.S. Pat No. 6,446,845 (Steiger) disclose dispensing taps for “bag in box” containers. Another tap for controlling liquid flow from a bag in a box arrangement is disclosed in International Application WO 01/02283A1.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,452,378 (Christine) discloses a gusseted bottom pouch for containing a liquid, with the pouch including a spout including cap for enabling the contents to drained from the pouch.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,911,340 (Uematsu) and 6,612,466 (Malin) disclose boat shaped spout assemblies for flexible packages. U.S. Pat. No. 6,050,451 (Hess III, et al.) and U.S. Pat. No. 6,273,307 (Gross et al.) disclose boat shaped valved fitments for flexible packages.
While the aforementioned packages with fitments for containing and dispensing liquids and the fitments for use in such packages may be generally suitable for their intended purposes, they suffer from one or more of the drawbacks, e.g., they are not particularly suitable for manufacture on a form, fill and seal machine, they are somewhat complex in construction and/or not particularly compact, and they do not enable control the flow rate of the liquid being dispensed.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,598,529 (Pongrass et al.) discloses a method and apparatus for forming, filling and sealing flexible plastic bags. However, the bags produced do not include taps for enabling the selective dispensing of the contents of the bag.